7/26/2007

Photo: Canadian Pakistan Sind Technician and local farmer test the quality of water from a new artesian well.TORONTO -- Some of the world's most powerful nations are getting increasingly desperate for fresh water and observers are concerned that a day will come when countries will fight for the dwindling resource.Countries in the Middle East and Africa have long dealt with water shortages but now the likes of China, India and the United States are grappling with the problem.And the United Nations says five billion people will be living in areas with limited water availability by 2025, which will only exacerbate tensions and demand for the limited supply.Water management has been pushed to the top of the political agenda in some countries and military leaders are now being drawn into long-term planning to help strategize how governments will face their dry futures.Climate change and subsequent consequences like water scarcity present a serious threat to national security, said a panel of 11 retired three-star and four-star American admirals and generals in a recent report for the CNA Corp., a non-profit organization.While it's not yet expected that water will be the sole cause of a war, the report suggests a fight over natural resources could be the final straw that pushes countries into conflict.